<p>I'm now finishing my junior year of HS, and it was always my plan to go into arts because I didn't like the sciences (or anything else really). But I took Chem this year and really enjoyed it (and got a 98), so I've signed up for it in my senior year as well. Now I am considering sciences because of the better career opportunities. The arts subject I'm most interested in is Linguistics, which I was going to combine with a minor in Comp Sci so that I could get a good job in Computational Linguistics. But I'm not sure if I really like CS that much. I certainly like Chem, though I can only tolerate Physics and quite dislike Bio. So is it a good choice? What would my options be after graduating? I don't love the idea of going to grad school for Chem, and I'm not really interested in Medicine or Engineering. I can only really see myself getting passionate about being a professor; not many other careers appeal to me. Should I just stick to arts, or make the switch?</p>
<p>1) Linguistics isn’t art. It’s a social science. Art encompasses subjects like dance, theater, and music.
2) Learn more about programming to see if you’d like it, maybe take AP Comp Sci.
3) Chem doesn’t require much bio if any at all. My chem major only requires one class in biochem. Chem does require physics and math.
3) It’s too early to be too set on any one career path.</p>
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I didn’t mean Fine Arts, I meant the Arts faculty. </p>
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I’m trying to learn Java on my own, cause my school doesn’t have a CS course. </p>
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That’s good. I’m alright with physics and math.</p>
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Yes, but that doesn’t make it wrong to ask what my options are.</p>
<p>Chem doesn’t require much bio but your future work in grad school and your career will be heavily oriented towards the biochemistry side of chem.</p>
<p>Your situation is a great reason why students in highschool should not have to worry too much about majors. It is great to think about potential paths now, and fun too, but really it is so hard for highschoolers to know what they like and will excel at later on, and to know the myriad of occupational options available to them with the path they chose. The norm is for college kids to <em>change</em> majors (even after they think they have figured it out after being in college for awhile) and the vast majority of working adults are not doing careers directly related to their major. Add in the fact that most educated adults do not even know the vast majority of occupations ‘out there’ and that many argue we can’t possibly predict the important occupations in the next decades, and well, you can see its tough to plan too far ahead. </p>
<p>And your very normal situation is exactly why college students should take full advantage of the breadth requirements at most colleges and will not be expected to declare a major until later. Go to college, take all the courses you think you will enjoy most (and its fantastic you like a diversity of subjects). In college, you will also have an opportunity to learn more about each major and subject area and can talk at length with your professors and advisors about different options available to you if you graduate with a major in X.</p>
<p>Keep an open mind with it. Try not to write off or embrace too tightly any one subject just yet. In college, you will get a chance to see if you really hate X or love Y or excel at X or suck at Y (at a higher level and independent of your crappy or great highschool teacher or facilities for that subject). Ones highschool experience just isn’t always the best way to know (it gives you some information but can also be misleading).</p>